Bill > SB140

This bill establishes a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee within the New Hampshire Department of Justice to conduct comprehensive reviews of deaths related to domestic violence. The committee will consist of 16 members appointed by the Attorney General, including representatives from various state agencies, law enforcement, legal professions, victim services, and domestic violence organizations. The committee's primary purpose is to prevent domestic violence-related fatalities by identifying systemic barriers, evaluating responses from government and non-government agencies, and creating recommendations to improve community responses to domestic violence. The bill provides extensive protections for the committee's work, including strict confidentiality provisions that prevent committee members, invited guests, and participants from disclosing information obtained during reviews. The committee is required to wait until criminal investigations are completed before reviewing a case and will produce a biennial public report detailing trends and patterns of domestic violence deaths, along with recommendations for legal and policy changes. Critically, the bill establishes a criminal penalty (class A misdemeanor) for anyone who intentionally discloses information from committee proceedings, underscoring the importance of maintaining confidentiality in these sensitive reviews.

Justice

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_docket.aspx?lsr=995&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=SB140